THE benefits to your health from gardening are not to be underestimated.Yet another academic study has found that digging, weeding and generally being out and active in your garden can help stave off illness. The new report, called Gardens and Health, argues that gardening should be recommended by doctors for people showing early signs of(…)
In March 2015, we reported that the NHS was establishing a Vanguard scheme involving 6 areas around the UK to lead the way in improving the standard of care for elderly people living in care homes.A year on and the scheme is in full swing. But is it working?Hertfordshire was one of the areas chosen,(…)
Care home fees are expected to rise this year by an eye watering 8% to 10%.Two factors seem to be fuelling the sharp rise. New rules being brought in will require companies to pay into a pension scheme for all employees and, in April, the new national living wage of £7.20 an hour will come(…)
Photo courtesy of Reuters Health Older obese people with mild cognitive impairment who lose a small amount of weight may see some improvement on tests of thinking skills, according to a new study.The study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, suggests that as well as reducing abdominal fat mass, restricting calories may well help(…)
Image courtesy of REUTERS/Heinz-Peter Bader Seniors with hearing loss who use hearing aids may experience cognitive decline at a rate more like their peers without hearing trouble, according to a French study that followed thousands of seniors for 25 years.Past research has shown a link between hearing loss and steeper cognitive decline in old age,(…)
Keeping active is an important part of staying healthy and giving you the best chance of managing to live well with dementia. So earlier this year, the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) launched a pilot scheme in Manchester and Durham to make it easier, and more enjoyable, for people with dementia and their carers to access(…)
A recent CQC Inspection report questioned the use of care home staff referring to residents by pet names such as “love” and “darling”. This generated a storm of protest in the press, with headlines implying that the CQC were all for banning the use of such terms of endearment within residential settings.Here, Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief(…)
Demand for luxury housing within new retirement village developments is at an all time high, claims Nick Sanderson, chief executive of Audley Retirement. And in a blistering attack on current residential care provision, he declares that 75% of Care Homes should close because they now fall short on modern standards and customer expectation.Audley Retirement, which runs eight(…)
With residential care homes under greater scrutiny than ever before, we’re all used to the idea of providing feedback to help providers assess the quality of their services. But often this is a long-winded process showing few immediate results.But now one care home provider has invested in technology to speed up the process so that(…)
Only 1 in 10 adults over the age of 65 get enough physical activity. But now recent research in Finland has added weight to the growing body of evidence that suggests that exercising into your 70s and beyond can drastically reduce the risk of falls that result in broken bones and other serious injuries.For women(…)